Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: Christians

The Lord Is With You

Encouragement

The Lord Is With You

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Gideon) and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:12‬

Mighty Man of What?

At first Gideon was not a man of valor (courage), he was weak and cowardly.  In fact, he was the smallest and youngest of his family and would be the least of many to be called a warrior.  What’s ironic about this passage of Scripture is the angel spoke these words to Gideon while he was underground hiding in fear of the Midianites robbing and killing him. But God had something special in store for Gideon.

God called upon Gideon to rise up when the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for help after suffering seven years of punishment for worshipping Baal.  It wasn’t long after the Israelites were living comfortably in the Promise Land that they turned their back on God and broke the First Commandment.  Now it was time for Gideon to be the man God was going to use to save the Israelites from the Midianites.

Gideon led an army of 300 Israelites into victory by blowing trumpets, smashing clay pots, holding up torches and raising their voices (Judges 7:20).  The Midianites were defeated and Gideon never had to raise the first sword.

Gideon is a great example of God using the least of many to do great and wonderful things.  No matter your position or calling you are someone God wants to use.  He wants to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things to show His mightiness.  Never underestimate your usefulness because God wants to do amazing things through you.

Prayer

Pray for God to use your life to show others what a mighty God you serve.

Out On A Limb

Encouragement, Salvation

Out On A Limb

“And he (Zacchaeus) was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:3‬

Zacchaeus and Jesus

I love reading the story of Zacchaeus because it never gets old.  The theme of this passage of Scripture is salvation and how any person from any background can seek and find Jesus.  You probably remember Zacchaeus because he was “a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!” I’m sure everyone who hears the jingle remembers the gist.

Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector and was hated by everyone.  To say the least he didn’t have a very good reputation among the people for being honest.  But the day he met Jesus everything changed.  He became a new person.  And everyone witnessed it and benefitted from it.

Because of the large crowd, Zacchaeus literally went out on a limb to see Jesus.  He risked everything.  What he didn’t know was Jesus had seen him from the beginning.  As the sycamore tree was the divine meeting place for Zacchaeus, the wooden cross is ours.

Jesus does not look at your past or failures like the world does. Jesus sees you for the person you can become through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Just think of the potential you have as a Child of God.  The world means nothing when Jesus is on your side.

The good news is we don’t have to look very far to find Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke‬ ‭19:10‬)

Pray

Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you with strength, courage and wisdom as you strive to become the perfect person God created you to be.

Praise His Name

Encouragement

 

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:9‬

Jesus is a powerful name. In the name of Jesus miracles happen and prayers are answered. At the name of Jesus demons flee and every knee bows.  For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus saves!

But have you ever noticed how many names and titles are given to Jesus in the Bible. For example, some of the names and titles given to Jesus are:  Christ, Emmanuel, Master, Son of God, Son of Man, Word, Lamb of God, Light of the World, King of the Jews, Rabbi and Messiah.  Overall it is said there are about 700 names and titles that can be referenced to in Scripture. Have you ever considered why God gave so many names and titles to His only Son?

Names in the Bible have significant meanings. The Old Testament name given to Joshua means “Savior” or “Deliverer” as he delivered God’s people into the Promise Land. A New Testament name given to Peter means “Rock” as he was the first to build the Church. So the names and titles given to Jesus actually describe his attributes and character and describe who He is and how He works in the lives of so many people.

As you read Scripture that denotes a specific name or title given to Jesus, stop for a moment and discover how God wants you to know Him. By doing this you will build a more intimate relationship with Jesus. Plus it will give you a broader perspective of what Jesus can do in your life.  The more we know about Jesus, the more we become like Jesus.

Praise God for sending Jesus and for who He is to you. You will be blessed in doing so.